MEARS Auctions is proud to offer this 1923-25 Ty Cobb Detroit Tigers era Louisville Slugger game used bat which exhibits over 2 dozen cleat marks, a very desirable and sought after Cobb bat trait. In addition, this bat was manufactured for Cobb’s use during a time span for which Ty Cobb was quite productive. It should also be noted that this span corresponds with Ty Cobb’s tenure with the Detroit Tigers, as he finished his later career with the Athletics in 1927 and 1928. With 17 years of major league experience, Ty Cobb was still producing offensive feats of awe in Detroit during the 1923, 1924, and 1925 seasons.
Offensively, Cobb continued to impress. Six times in his career, Cobb reached base and proceeded to steal second, third and home. The first time he did it was in 1907, the final time was in 1924, a moment of his career included within the labeling period of this bat.
History shows that by mid-1925, he had finally had enough of reporters asking him about Babe Ruth's awesome home run prowess. According to Baseball Almanac, “Cobb, who had a split-handed grip that gave him more bat control but less power, had a well-known disdain for the long ball and the boisterous Babe, and told reporters that hitting home runs didn't take any special skill. To prove his point, he slid his hands down to the knob of the bat, Ruthian style, then hit three HR in that day's game against the Browns (5/5/25).
To pound the point home, he hit two more the next day.” This bat is consistent with what would have been available for Ty Cobb to use during this homerun exhibition while showing up Ruth’s homerun prowess. One can only image picture Ty Cobb tapping his notorious cleats, leaving distinct marks near the barrel end (a characteristic found on this bat), as he concentrated on hitting the point proving homerun.
During the label dating of this bat, 1923-25, Cobb amassed 557 hits with the Tigers, all which led to his lifetime number of 4,189.
With a desirable blend of history and H&B factory record support, the offered bat is sure to fill a hole for one lucky game used bat collector. The MEARS examination revealed:
Label Period 1923-25: Per the book, “ A Complete Reference Guide Louisville Slugger Professional Player Bats by Vince Malta”, this bat is most consistent with centerbrand dating 1923-25, (C4A and C-4B), page 15. This is evidenced by the fact that “MADE IN THE U.S.A.” was first stamped within the centerbrand oval, an advance from the previous dash dot dash design. Remember, centerbrand dating only indicated when a bat was manufactured, not used, so this bat have been continued to be used in the final 3 years of his career, 1926-1928.
Length 34”: For the years 1920-1925, H&B does have bats with recorded lengths of 34.5” during this span. According to the book, “A Crack of the Bat”, H&B had on file a player bat card with the recorded length of Ty Cobb documented at 34”, date unknown. Therefore, H&B recorded lengths for Cobb range from 34” to 34.5”, with this bat falling within an acceptable length range for Ty Cobb bats.
Weight 33.2 ounces: For the label period of 1922-25, H&B records lengths for Ty Cobb bats at 35 to 42 ounces. With the documented practice of bat weight fluctuation, this bat falls within an acceptable weight range for Ty Cobb professional model bats from this era, with weight loss of 1.8 ounces or more taken into consideration.
Model C28: Bat is consistent as the model ordered and preferred by Cobb. The H&B factory records describe the bat as “His Model a.k.a. His Original Model – small barrel, large handle, half-round end (Model C28).
Knob: Very small, almost flared, as preferred by Ty Cobb.
Factory Stampings Ty Cobb: The factory barrel stampings are quite deep, and offer a very aesthetically pleasing contrast to the amber hue of the wood.
Wood Grain: Straight and fine grain, not heavy with whirly knots, as preferred and requested by Ty Cobb.
Heavy Use with Cleat marks: Use is best described as heavy. Starting at the knob, bat exhibits compressed grain with surface wear associated with the gripping of the handle area and general use. This heavy game use extends up and over the entire handle area, continuing through the centerbrand and barrel end. Use is even and consistent throughout entire bat’s length. There are nearly 2 dozen cleat marks scattered near the barrel end.
Grade: MEARS A7.5. Base grade 5 points for bat being consistent recorded player bat specifications, 3 points of heavy game use (w/ cleat marks), and minus ½ point for a cleat mark with touches the factory barrel stamping.
Conclusion: A full review concludes this bat is a solid representation of a circa 1923-25 Ty Cobb H&B Louisville Slugger game used bat, encompassing an offensively productive latter stage of Cobb’s career. Manufactured during his tenure with the Detroit Tigers, the length, weight, and model are all consistent with H&B factory records. Finally, the bat exhibits numerous deep and distinct cleat marks near barrel end, the most covered player trait most closely associated with high grade Ty Cobb bat examples.